Myth of Motherhood

It takes a lot to leave me speechless. I'm a talker. And today's guest Elana Bell did it twice. Today she shares her empowered cesarean story and how she took something so medicalized and made it sacred. How she created space to grieve the birth she'd wanted and the version of herself who had to die in order for her to be reborn in motherhood. Elana Bell is the author of Mother Country (BOA Editio...

We have to stop leaving the mother out of the equation. That is exactly what happens when we ask "When are you having a baby?" This simple question, often well intentioned, completely removes and ignores the birthing person. You never know where someone is on their fertility journey, their marital satisfaction, or emotional and physical recovery from birth trauma. Today's episode provides an updat...

"If you feel like you're doing everything, you're doing too much." -Gemma Hartley. Have you ever been reading a book and got mad at the protagonist? Because you can't believe they are tolerating what they are tolerating and not advocating for themselves? I felt that way when I started Fed Up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward written by today's guest Gemma Hartley. It didn't take long fo...

This week's solo episode honors the Jewish New Year and the opportunity to reflect, repent, and recommit to creation. This past year has taught me a lot about my white privilege, my Jewish identity, and how I tend to put my head down, work myself into the ground, and then look up not knowing where I am. Sometimes somewhere I definitely don't want to be. It happened with my first marriage, it happe...

Welcome back! I met today's guest Blair Badenhop through mutual friends before signing up for her incredible business mentorship program Your Wellness Brand. Well, we hit it off in a big way and she is now my co-founder along with Anne (our other co-founder and guest on episode 21 who ALSO did YWB with Blair). Blair is a global Brand & Messaging Strategist with over a decade of experience supporti...

Sex changes things. It escalates good things and bad things and I want to make sure our emotional intimacy is at the point where sex is our right next step to be to grow our intimacy. Does that make sense? This episode is not graphic, so you don't need to be nervous. I promise this is a safe space. I do use anatomical correct names for a few body parts, but our conversation today is really more ab...

Today's guest is a magical mermaid maiden that I am honored to call cofounder of pstprtm Anne Omland. We met through our other cofounder Blair Badenhop and immediately sparks flew. We are so aligned and so different and seriously, she has mermaid hair. Today we are talking about losing your shit as a mom and trying to find it again. And I urge you to listen until the end. Her definition of motherh...

In honor of our 20th episode I want to share with you the three things you need to know about YOUR body. Because you only get one, let's honor her well. I believe that movement, self expressions, and good old fashion education empower us to feel safe, confident, and knowledgeable in our bodies. And we need to get in touch with OUR bodies. Not someone else's, but our own. And when you want to share...

Like many pregnant people, Chloe Campbell (She/Her) spent a lot of time and energy connecting to her body and her baby. Culturally we idealize "natural" birth when we mean an unmedicated, vaginal birth. In this episode we talk about this ideal and how it morphs and changes once we give birth, and all along the way no one really considers the pregnancy. It's all about the baby. Speaking of babies,...

In theater, when there are children in a show the company hires a "Child Wrangler." This person manages the children to make sure they are in costume and make their entrances on time. That they have snacks and water. And that they know all of their lines and choreography. When you become an adult, the Dance Captain and Stage Manager fill this role. It wasn't until after I semi-retired from the biz...

When it comes to motherhood it's time for radical change. To let go of antiquated ideals and expectations and step into our truth. Dr Ariana Witkin MD (She/Her) joins us today to talk about how being a pediatrician did nothing to prepare her for childbirth, postpartum, and being a new mom. And how there needs to be some radical changes in our healthcare system to support moms postpartum. Ariana Wi...

We are conditioned to avoid pain at all costs. But what if staying so safe for so long is actually holding us back. In this week's episode I share some lessons I've learned through painful experiences. Physically and emotionally. Pain isn't the enemy. It is the messenger to our brain to pay attention, be careful, and send healing. And if we keep ignoring it, which I am so good at doing, the pain w...

Did you ever wonder what happens when you're an American in Paris getting mixed messages from two different cultures and your husband is Italian so there's a third culture at play and you're expecting twins? I don't know, but Kate does! In this episode we talk about utilizing what resonates from all of the information available. How different cultures can inform our experiences in positive and neg...

Discomfort is misunderstood. We see it as something negative that needs to be fixed. We so easily forget that in order to grow we have to get uncomfortable. We have to enter...The Discomfort Zone. Alissa has been there a few times and is here to share that each time you emerge from the discomfort zone you are a stronger, truer, more embodied version of yourself. That seems to be something worth ge...

I met Rebecca when I went for my first massage after lockdown. I had been terrified, but the stress and anxiety of the year had gotten to be too much so I made an appointment. The moment I met her I knew I liked her. Her energy feels so good. I was totally freaking out because of covid and my anxiety, but I felt better being near her. Then she gave me one of those life changing massages. I felt he...

When a baby is born, so too is a mother. Everyone swoops in to care for, snuggle, nurture, and comfort the baby. But what about the mother? She also came out of that experience a new person. A stranger in her body and the world. I promise you she needs as much coddling, feeding, sleep, care, nurturing, and love as the baby. Honestly? More. Yet there is so much pressure to get back to everything. W...

Lisa Gajda (She/Her) had a successful 30 year career on Broadway before becoming a mother. In fact, she never even wanted kids until at the age of 41 and meeting her newborn nephew. Knowing the chances of conceiving without assistance were slim, they found an egg donor and now have two beautiful children who are "the coolest things ever." This episode is about the mother inside us. And how she can...

Sometimes self care isn't enough. There I said it. We are constantly told our feelings are "normal" postpartum. It's normal to be tired, sad, and not feel like yourself. But when you find yourself filled with rage that the dog needs more water, the sodastream is out of bubbles, and you're waking up for a sleep intermission from 2am-4am again, it's time to call in reinforcements. In this week's epi...

For the perfectionist, there is nothing more valuable or important than perfection. In this episode Reema Zaman, an award-winning writer, speaker, actress, producer, and podcast host and I discuss how perfection ruled our lives and how we overcame it. Hint: it has something to do with loving yourself. Reema and I met on the first day of our freshman year at Skidmore College. I will never forget wa...

In this week's episode we are talking about self care. It's all the rage and may be starting to take on a life of its own. Instead of letting this become another item NOT being crossed off the to do list, Alissa goes over her favorite way to start the day with a win. A quick, easy, integrative way to engage your core and pelvic floor AND calm your nervous system to prepare for the day in under 10...

Have you ever read something and felt so seen that your brain exploded? LIke you needed to send that person a DM immediately after reading a whole bunch of their work because you know you are destined to be friends? And then it turns out you have been living parallel lives for YEARS and it feels weird you haven't met yet? Yea, me too. That's why I messaged Abigail Rasminsky. She is a writer, teach...

I feel the best way to honor Mother's Day is by supporting mothers. And myself. Because I'm a mom too. I recently supposed the crap out of myself by taking a retreat BY MYSELF. I needed to create space and check in with myself, unravel the past year, and tune into myself. It was beyond fruitful and I am so excited to share with you the insights I gained on my hikes, in my writing, and with my vill...

What did you fail at today? Did you know Sarah Blakely's dad asked her this every single night growing up? She founded Spanx btw. Failure isn't bad. It builds character. Jk, but it does build resilience. And when it comes to Motherhood, no one has failed bigger than my friend and client Crista Crista and I have been working together for 8 years. We think? It's unclear. We have been through job cha...

At age 12 the two most important things in my life were my upcoming Bat Mitzvah and getting boobs. I could barely contain my excitement for both. Like many things in life, neither went exactly according to plan. Still, both happened in what I know now is the perfect way. What blows my mind, and what I talk about in this episode, are how the lessons I learned at ages 12 and 13 while becoming a woma...

This week's episode is extra special. I'm talking to Broadway's Becca Lee about motherhood during covid, your greatest spiritual journey, when your anxiety gets the best of you and you just...poop your pants. Becca and I had recorded our episode, but had major audio issues so we re recorded! Like Tenacious D sings in their hit song Tribute: "This is not the greatest (show) in the world, no. This i...